Pallet

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to an integral one piece pallet made of plastic and including a platform section with three support legs depending therefrom and extending from one side of the pallet to the other. Strengthening ribs, which are generally W shaped in cross-section, are disposed adjacent the side of the pallet and extend between the support legs with the bottoms of the ribs being substantially coplanar with the bottoms of the support legs. These W-shaped strengthening ribs have openings therethrough through which a lift device may be inserted. Reinforcing ribs extend between the support legs and their lower extremities are disposed above the openings in the strengthening ribs so as not to be engaged by the lift means inserted through the openings in the strengthening ribs.

[ PALLET [75] inventors: James M. Cook, III, Bloomfield,

' Hills; Eugene Dow, Royal Oak,

both of Mich.

[73] Assignee: Oakland Plastics Corporation, Troy, Mich.

[22] Filed: Aug. 16, 1971 211 Appl. No.: 171,837

[52] U.S. Cl. 108/51, 108/58 1511 Int. Cl 865d 19/00, B65d 19/38 58 1 Field of Search 108/51-58 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,330,228 7/1967 Donnelly 108/51 3,167,341 7/1965 Higgins.... 108/58 X 3,187,689 6/1965 Hess 108/58 3,359,929 12/1967 Carlson 108/58 3,404,642 10/1968 Belcher et a1... 108/58 3,433,184 3/1969 Addey 108/53 3,467,032 9/1969 Rowlands et a1. 108/51 3,481,285 12/1969 Yellin 108/58 3,511,191 5/1970 Barry, Jr. et al.... 108/58 3,524,415 8/1970 Heiman 108/53 3,611,952 10/1971 Hoffman 108/51 2,475,370 7 1949 Bitney 108/58 Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Assistant Examiner-G. O. Finch Attorney-McGlynn, Reising, Milton & Ethington [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to an integral one piece pallet made of plastic and including a platform section with three support legs depending therefrom and extending from one side of the pallet to the other. Strengthening ribs, which are generally W shaped in cross-section, are disposed adjacent the side of the pallet and extend between the support legs with the bottoms of the ribs being substantially coplanar with the bottoms of the support legs. These W-shaped strengthening ribs have openings therethrough through which a lift device may be inserted. Reinforcing ribs extend between the support legs and their lower extremities are disposed above the openings in the strengthening ribs so as not to be engaged by the lift means inserted through the openings in the strengthening ribs.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENIEDncrso ms 37$8Q423 SHEEI 20 2 I I N VEN TORS James HZ (00kg 5 BY 5:19am: 090w ATTORNEYS PALLET This invention relates to a pallet made of plastic or organic polymeric material. Such pallets are handled by fork lift vehicles and are usually rectangular in configuration and have an upper load supporting platform section upon which articles are disposed for handling, storage, and transporting.

Plastic pallets are becoming more widely used as they have various advantages over previously used wooden pallets such as being cheaper to manufacture, easier to store, lighter in weight, etc. It is not easy, however, to design a plastic pallet which provides the requisite strength characteristics.

Accordingly, it is an object and feature of this invention to provide an integral one piece plastic pallet having a design providing the requisite strength characteristics.

In correlation with the foregoing object and feature, it is another object and feature of this invention to provide such a pallet including a platform section with a plurality of support legs extending downwardly from the platform section and extending from one side to the other thereof with strengthening ribs extending between adjacent support legs and having openings therethrough.

In correlation with the foregoing objects and features, it is another object and feature of this invention to provide such a pallet wherein the strengthening ribs have a pair of spaced walls with the openings extending through both of the walls.

Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a preferred embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view taken substantially along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary bottom view taken substantially along line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

An integral one piece pallet made of plastic or organic polymeric material constructed in accordance with the instant invention is generally shown at 10.

The pallet is integral or in one piece and is preferably made by a vacuum molding process. A plurality of support legs extend downwardly from the platform section 12 and from one side to the other of the platform section 12, the side legs being generally indicated at 14 and the middle leg being generally indicated at 16.

The strengthening ribs, each of which is generally indicated at 18, extend downwardly from the platform section between adjacent legs 14 and 16 and have openings extending therethrough. Each of the strengthening ribs 18 has a pair of spaced walls 22 with a void or airspace therebetween as indicated in FIG. 5 and the openings 20 extend through both of the walls 22. The walls 22 generally define a U-shape because they diverge from one another from the bottom of the strengthening ribs 18 upwardly toward the platform section 12 and, more specifically, the strengthening ribs 18 are generally W shaped when viewed in cross section as best illustrated in FIG. 5. In other words, the

bases of the strengthening ribs 18 include a rib or depression 24 that define a W shape.

The bottom extremities of the strengthening ribs 18 are substantially coplanar with the bottom extremities of the support legs 14 and 16.

The pallet also includes reinforcing ribs 26 extending downwardly from the platform section 12 and between the support legs 14 and 16. The bottom extremities of the reinforcing ribs 26 are coplanar or above the openings 20 in the strengthening ribs 18 for preventing the reinforcing ribs 26 from being contacted by a lift means inserted through the openings 20.

The upper ends of the walls 22 of the strengthening ribs 18 are integral with half reinforcing ribs 28 as best shown in FIG. 5. The strengthening ribs 18 are disposed adjacent each side of the pallet 10 and a plurality of the reinforcing ribs 26 are spaced and parallel to one another between the sides of the pallet.

Each of these support legs 14 and 16 includes spaced walls joined by a bottom base section 30 for the side legs 14 and 32 for the middle leg 16. The side walls of the middle leg 16 diverge from one another from the base section 32 toward the platform section 12. In the case of the side legs 14, the outer walls thereof slant upwardly and outwardly from the bases 30 thereof to the platform section 12, the inner walls being substantially vertical or perpendicular to the base section 12.

The side walls of the support legs 14 and 16 have gullets 34 therein and each gullet 34 is disposed between a pair of reinforcing ribs 26.

The outer support legs 14 are spaced inwardly from I the periphery of the platform section 12 and the platform includes short reinforcing ribs 36 and 36' extending from the outer support legs 14 outwardly toward the periphery of the platform section 12.

A channel 38 extends longitudinally along the base sections of the legs 14 and 16 and up the ends thereof.

All of the features described add to the structural integrity of the pallet and the strengthening ribs 18 prevent the pallet from bending unduly about an axis extending generally parallel to the support legs 14 and 16.

A flange 40 extends upwardly and is disposed about the periphery of the platform section 12.

There is also included strap guides 42 extending downwardly from the platform section l2 between the support legs 14 and 16 at the periphery of the platform section 12 whereby banding straps may be disposed about articles on the platform section and over the strap guides 42.

The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of thepresent invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

The embodiments of the present invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

I. An integral one-piece pallet made of plastic and including: a platform section; a plurality of support legs extending downwardly from the platform section and extending between opposite sides of the platform section; and transversely extending strengthening ribs extom extremities of said reinforcing ribs being coplanar with or above said openings for preventing said reinforcing ribs from being contacted by lift means inserted through said openings.

4. A pallet as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said support legs includes spaced walls joined by a bottom base section.

5. A pallet as set forth in claim 1 wherein said walls of said support legs have gullets therein with each gullet disposed between a pair of said reinforcing ribs. 

1. An integral one-piece pallet made of plastic and including: a platform section; a plurality of support legs extending downwardly from the platform section and extending between opposite sides of the platform section; and transversely extending strengthening ribs extending between the respective adjacent support legs, each strengthening rib having a generally V-shaped cross section by including spaced side walls which diverge from one another in a direction upwardly toward said platform section, said side walls of each strengthening rib having openings therethrough for receiving pallet handling means.
 2. A pallet as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strengthening ribs include a base having a depression therein.
 3. A pallet as set forth in claim 1 including reinforcing ribs extending between said support legs, the bottom extremities of said reinforcing ribs being coplanar with or above said openings for preventing said reinforcing ribs from being contacted by lift means inserted through said openings.
 4. A pallet as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said support legs includes spaced walls joined by a bottom base section.
 5. A pallet as set forth in claim 1 wherein said walls of said support legs have gullets therein with each gullet disposed between a pair of said reinforcing ribs. 